(1) Licenses shall be granted only to persons who bear a good reputation for honesty, trustworthiness, integrity, and competence to transact the business of broker or salesperson in such manner as to safeguard the interest of the public and only after satisfactory proof of such qualifications has been presented to the commission. No license shall be granted to an applicant who will be conducting business through a corporation, partnership, or limited liability company unless any stockholder, partner, or member having a controlling interest therein, if any, bears a good reputation for honesty, trustworthiness, and integrity.

(2) When an applicant has been convicted of forgery, embezzlement, obtaining money under false pretenses, larceny, extortion, conspiracy to defraud, or any other similar offense or offenses or has been convicted of a felony or a crime involving moral turpitude in any court of competent jurisdiction of this or any other state, district, or territory of the United States or of a foreign country, such untrustworthiness of the applicant and the conviction may in itself be sufficient ground for refusal of a license.

(3) The commission may in its discretion deny a license to any person who has engaged in the real estate business without a license.

(4) When an applicant has made a false statement of material fact on an application, such false statement may in itself be sufficient ground for refusal of a license.

(5) Grounds for suspension or revocation of a license, as provided for by the Nebraska Real Estate License Act, or the previous revocation of a real estate license shall also be grounds for refusal to grant a license.

A real estate broker's license may be suspended or revoked for misconduct occurring in a real estate transaction whether the broker is acting for himself or for others. Wright v. State ex rel. State Real Estate Comm., 208 Neb. 467, 304 N.W.2d 39 (1981).